Deep pockets paying to party with Obama

Tuesday

Dec 30, 2008 at 12:01 AMDec 30, 2008 at 11:49 PM

Some deep pockets on the South Shore along with a bunch of Hollywood heavyweights are chipping in to pick up the tab for President-elect Barack Obama’s inauguration bash on Jan. 20. More than 30 Massachusetts residents have contributed to Obama’s party fund.

Patriot Ledger staff

Some deep pockets on the South Shore along with a bunch of Hollywood heavyweights are chipping in to pick up the tab for President-elect Barack Obama’s inauguration bash on Jan. 20.

More than 30 Massachusetts residents have contributed to Obama’s party fund. Among them, Christine M. North, a partner at the law firm Pond North in Pembroke, who donated $25,000; William Bicknell of Marshfield, chairman emeritus and professor of international health at Boston University School of Public Health, who donated $250; and Jane Hale, also of Marshfield, a literature professor at Brandeis University, who donated $250.

The Obama administration is breaking with tradition and making public the list of inauguration party donors that previous presidents have withheld. Although the government pays for the inauguration ceremony and parade, the incoming president foots the bill for the after-party. Big donors historically get the best seats in the house. On its Web site, the Presidential Inaugural Committee writes it would not accept funds from corporations, political groups, trade unions, pressure groups or people who are not American citizenship.

Obama’s inauguration fund also attracted big contributions from Massachusetts businesses. Donating $50,000 each were Heather Keane of Vista Print in Lexington; Joanne and Paul Egerman, chief executives of eScription Inc., a privately held medical transcription company in Needham; John Cogan a retired partner from the WilmerHale law firm in Cambridge; Joshua Boger, the founder, president and Chief Executive Officer of Vertex Pharmaceuticals in Cambridge; Philip and Susan Ragon of InterSystems in Cambridge.

With Inauguration Day three weeks away, $22 million has been raised with Massachusetts donors accounting for $711,200. California donors have given $5.5 million, New York, $3.5 million, Illinois $2.3 million and Florida $1.3 million.